|
|
|
Building Your Dream Home – Part 2
Razing the Cottage
With new house plans and permits in hand, subcontractors hired and a Septic Design in process, it was now time to raze the existing cottage. I considered employing the local fire department to burn it down, however I chose...
Buying an Unfinished Home Maybe Your Answer
For the first time “want-to-be” homeowner, purchasing an unfinished new home maybe just the answer. With mortgage interest rates still at record lows, there has not been a better time to purchase a home in decades. However, home prices have...
How Not To Lose A Million Dollars In Real Estate
I recently saw an article “How to lose a million dollars in real estate” what a great title! Then I saw the author Verna Jones-Cox (real estate short sale expert) no wonder it had a great title. I met Verna about two years ago and I would have...
How to Create A Tuscan Wall Mural -
Wall murals make a house unique. They are an easy and inexpensive way to fill your home with scenes that make you happy, relaxed, and proud of your home. Then what better inspiration than Tuscany, the sun-soaked, romantic region in Italy?
...
Use A Wallpaper Border For A Budget Backsplash
You can add some splash to your kitchen without spending a lot of money by applying a simple wallpaper border for a backsplash. You can get a pretty good bargain on borders in the closeout bin at your wallpaper store or home improvement center,...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Get New Floors And Save A Bundle When You Do It Yourself
Everybody loves the look of hardwood floors, but if you have an older home, your floors are probably scuffed, scratched and dingy. Most homes made before 1970 had hardwood floors and even though your house now has carpet there may be a beautiful hardwood floor hiding under your rug!
After years of use, your floor will need to be refinished and that can cost over $1000 for just one room! But if you want to put in a little time and elbow grease, you can refinish the floor yourself and have the beautiful look of warm wood in your home for a fraction of the cost.
Contrary to what you may have heard, the finish doesn’t take weeks to dry. It’s quite simple actually. You can get the supplies for sanding at your neighborhood home improvement store. You’ll need a drum sander and a belt sander. They will be able to advise you on the sandpaper you need, how to use the machine and what kind of stain and finish you’ll need to finish off the floor. Sanding creates fine particles of dust that will get everywhere and on everything so you may want to pick up some dust masks and drop cloths while you are at it.
The first thing you’ll want to do when refinishing your floor yourself is to learn how to run the sander. The key to stripping a floor is learning how to get the sander working smoothly. The sanders are very easy to use. But they’re a bit on the loud side. The key is to keep it moving at all times. The sander gets very hot and if you stop in one spot for any length of time, you run the risk of burning or denting your floor.
Running the sander is the fun part of refinishing, but you must be cautious as the machine is self propelled. You may feel like a Zamboni driver smoothing ice after you get the hang of it! When you start it up, hold on firmly and make sure you keep it in control at all times.
/>
After the old finish is removed, you need to apply the stain and new finish. Think of this as the same as doing your nails – first you remove the old finish, then basecoat, color and topcoat. Sometimes you don’t want color on your nails so you skip that part. In your floor you might also skip that part (the stain) but you still want to use a finish to protect the floor.
When it comes to the finish you have 2 choices – oil based or water based. Oil-based is available in a satin, semi-gloss or gloss finish. Satin works well on a hardwood floor because it will bring out the natural glow of the wood without too much of a shine as well as help hide any flaws. Oil-based also produces a warm amber look that gives you the traditional glow of wood floors. Water-based polyurethane dries clear and resists yellowing. Water-based also dries quicker.
Either way, make sure you let each coat dry thoroughly before applying the next. Follow the manufacturers instructions on the product for drying times. Give your floor at least 24-36 hours before moving furniture back on it. It will continue to harden in the first couple of weeks.
Refinishing your floor is simply a set of tasks which can be done easily if you take them one step of a time. Your flooring can get a whole new look for less when you refinish it yourself – you’ll save over 80 percent of the cost.
About The Author:
Lee Dobbins is a contributing writer for home improvement resources such as http://www.refinishing-hardwood-floors.com. Visit our site and see how you can refinish your hardwood floor: http://www.refinishing-hardwood-floors.com/Do-It-Yourself-Hardwood-Floor-Refinishing.html
Copyright Lee Dobbins - http://www.refinishing-hardwood-floors.com
|
|
|
|
|
|